Democrats hope a younger presidential candidate will attract younger voters

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Democrats are hoping the switch at the top of the ticket with a younger candidate could bring younger voters to the polls. A political action committee called Voters of Tomorrow is working to make that happen. The organization describes itself as an organization for Gen Z by Gen Z, and they have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for president. Their executive director, Santiago Mayer, is with us now, wearing his Voters of Tomorrow T-shirt. Thank you so much for joining us.

SANTIAGO MAYER: Thank you so much for having me.

MARTIN: So why did the group decide to endorse Vice President Harris?

MAYER: For sure. We have spent the last four years working with Vice President Harris. We know that - and she says this all the time - we know that she loves Gen Z. And we know that she's going to give us a seat at the table, that she's going to continue to promote her policies and that she's a fighter for our generation.

MARTIN: There's some memes circulating on social media about Harris since President Biden's announcement. Gosh, and I hate to say - like, you know, sound like somebody's mom here, but one of them claims that Kamala is brat. And it kind of seems like a slight, but you're saying it's not. Can you explain what it means?

MAYER: It is not. "Brat" is a new album by Charli XCX, and the whole album is about being fun, being yourself. And I think if we know anything about Vice President Harris, it's that she is very fun, and she is very real to who she is. She owns her personality. And I think Gen Z, by and large, can relate to that.

MARTIN: So, you know, but look, President Biden struggled with young voters throughout his campaign. I don't know that that was just a matter of style or a generational difference, but a lot of voters still (inaudible) his policies. Now, Kamala Harris is his vice president. She shares many of his policy views. Is there a distinction without a difference there?

MAYER: Listen, the Biden-Harris administration has delivered for Gen Z time and time again. They passed the largest-ever investment into climate change, into fighting climate change. They passed the first gun violence prevention bill in 30 years. They are fighting to forgive student loans. They created the Office of Gun Violence Prevention at the White House, which was an initiative led by Gen Z. And they created the American Climate Corps, which was also an initiative led by Gen Z. This is an administration that cares about listening to our requests, about bringing us into the room where decisions are being made and delivering for our generation.

MARTIN: So is there some way in which you specifically think that she will energize voters? I mean, because from what you're describing, the policies have been on point. So what else does she add?

MAYER: Well, I think the energy is what we have been seeing over the past few years. I can tell you over the past - I'm sorry, what we have seen over the past few days. I can tell you over the past 48 hours, we have processed more volunteer and chapter applications than we have in almost the entire previous month combined. I think there's a lot of energy behind Vice President Harris, and Gen Z is ready to elect the first woman president.

MARTIN: Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, who's the Republican vice presidential nominee, is 39. Anything interesting there?

MAYER: Listen, he might be young, but his ideas are very old, and he is trying to take us back. He supports Project 2025 and its backwards vision in America.

MARTIN: Which is what, for people who aren't aware of it?

MAYER: It is a list of very conservative actions that essentially empower the executive to become in a way a dictator. And it is very, very conservative with promoting a Christian nationalist view that is completely unacceptable to Gen Z, which is again why Gen Z is going to come out and vote for Vice President Harris to defeat Donald Trump.

MARTIN: Are there any ways in which you think that Gen Z as a - Gen Z voters as a group have differences with Vice President Harris, things - or perhaps policies in the Biden administration that you'd like to see her reconsider?

MAYER: I think Gen Z voters have differences with every candidate, but none larger than Donald Trump. And that is why we voted him out of the White House in 2020 and why we are going to reelect - why we're going to elect Kamala Harris this November.

MARTIN: That is Santiago Mayer. He's the executive director of Voters of Tomorrow. That is a political action committee that says it is for Gen Z, by Gen Z. Santiago Mayer, thanks so much for joining us.

MAYER: Thanks so much for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.